Important Tips for Food Safety

Have you ever heard not to refrigerate hot cooked food?

Well, it’s a myth!!!

You can refrigerate hot cooked food by dividing the quantity into smaller portions. Many people do not know exactly what the role of bacteria is in relation to food.

There are many bacteria that cause food to deteriorate. They can be on your face, hands, clothes, and even on kitchen utensils. Perishable food is more likely to spoil and decay if not kept refrigerated.

Now the question is, "What is perishable food?"

The food is categorized into two types:

• Perishable

• Non-Perishable

Perishable Food:

• Meat

• Poultry

• Eggs

• Fish

• Uncanned food

It is mandatory to chill perishable food as they are more likely to come in contact with bacteria at room temperature. There are two types of bacteria that are attracted to perishable food.

Pathogenic Bacteria:

These bacteria are tasteless and odorless yet they can still cause diseases. The most common disease is Diarrhea and the most common bacterium that causes it is E.coli.

Spoilage Bacteria:

Spoilage bacteria develop an unpleasant odor, taste, and texture. These bacteria make vegetables, fruits, and meat mushy and slimy. The most common diseases are fever, nausea, and diarrhea.

Non-Perishable Food:

• Rice

• Sugar

• Oil

• Canned food

• Cereals

• Tea bags

• Dried Fruits and many more

It is not obligatory to refrigerate non-perishable food, as this kind of food can last for a long period of time. But that does not really mean that there are no bacteria in that food. Although refrigerating the food does not kill bacteria yet bacteria can still survive and multiply incrementally and gradually.

People who are more likely to get sick from eating unhygienic food are:

• Pregnant women

• Elderly people

• Young children

There are a few baby steps to follow to keep your food healthy and safe and the steps are given below:

• Hygiene

• Forbidden cross-contamination (Set apart)

• Cook

• Refrigerate (Chill)

Hygiene:

• Before you start cooking, always wash your hands, kitchen utensils, and anything that comes in contact with food.

• Clean your surroundings.

• Sometimes we are in rush and forget to wash our hands and even the pots but try not to let that happen.

• Wash your hands before, during, and after preparing and cooking the food.

• Rinse out vegetables and fruits.

• Ask your butcher to cut the meat in a lean and clean way.

• Cover the leftovers by packing them in an airtight package, with a microwave lid, by wrapping them with a piece of the net as desired.

Forbidden cross-contamination (Set Apart):

• Raw meat (animal, bird, or seafood) must be kept separate from other food items such as fruits and vegetables, both during and after grocery shopping.

• Don't let cross-contamination occur, as it transfers germs from one food product to another.

• Meat can contain many germs that can cause illness.

• Whenever you are about to cut the meat, use a different cutting board, and after using it, clean it.

• Use a certain quantity of meat according to the desired amount, depending on the number of members, and refrigerate the rest.

Cook:

• It is necessary that one must know how to cook specific food at the required temperature.

• Every kind of food has to be cooked at a specific temperature in order to avoid having uncooked or over-roasted food.

• If you are a beginner but have an experienced person at home who knows how to cook, you can get help. However, if you are alone and have the urge to cook something, keep the temperature in mind.

• Red meat, especially lamb, beef, and pork, takes a long time to cook at a temperature of 145 °F (62°C).

• The meat of chicken, duck, and turkey has different temperatures at which they need to be cooked, which is 165°F (73°C).

• Fish needs to get cooked over 145°F (62°C).

• Food other than Meat should be cooked between 60°F and 75°F (15°C -23°C).

Refrigerate (Chill):

• At room temperature, bacteria multiply incrementally, so in order to keep the food safe, it should be chilled promptly, whether it is hot or cold.

• Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below.

• Keep your freezer at 0°For below.

• Check these temperatures periodically with a built-in thermometer, and if your refrigerator does not have one, use another temperature-measuring device to ensure the temperature is correct.

• Freezing does not actually kill bacteria, although it slows the process of multiplication.

• If you presume that the food in the refrigerator has decayed due to harmful bacteria, then it is time to throw out that food.

• Leftovers must be kept refrigerated.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

In 1973, Benjamin Franklin said this quotation to spread awareness about hygienic food which means that it is much better to eat healthy and less costly than unhealthy and expensive.